Is Reality Leigh Winner a traitor or a hero? | The Tylt

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Is Reality Leigh Winner a traitor or a hero?

#WinnerIsAHero

#WinnerIsATraitor

Senior officials confirmed to NBC News that Reality Winner was arrested in connection to leaking information to the Intercept. The report leaked to the Intercept explicitly states the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency, carried out a spear-phishing attack against employees responsible for creating U.S. election systems.

President Trump's administration has railed against leaks, saying leakers are undermining the U.S. government and their agenda. They accuse Obama loyalists of sabotaging their mission–which was mandated by the American people—by leaking sensitive information to the press in order to create fake scandals. In an interview with Fox news, Trump said:

"No, I think that President Obama is behind it because his people are certainly behind it. And some of the leaks possibly come from that group, which are really serious because they are very bad in terms of national security. But I also understand that is politics. In terms of him being behind things, that's politics. And it will probably continue."

Others think the people leaking information about the Russian investigation and the Trump administration are heroes. The Trump administration is reckless at best and un-American at worst. Former national security advisor Michael Flynn was ousted after information about his potential corruption was leaked to the media. Many think these leakers should be protected and celebrated for putting their personal livelihood and freedom at risk for the public good.

Leaks are illegal and hated by those in power (and their followers) precisely because political officials want to hide evidence of their own wrongdoing, and want to be able to lie to the public with impunity and without detection. That’s the same reason the rest of us should celebrate such illegal leaks and protect those who undertake them, often at great risk to their own interests, so that we can be informed about the real actions of those who wield the greatest power. That principle does not change based upon which political party controls the White House.